Arkansas·Educational Instruction and Library Occupations·SOC 25-1122

Best Communications Teacher, Postsecondary programs in Arkansas, ranked by enrollment

Teach courses in communications, such as organizational communications, public relations, radio/television broadcasting, and journalism.

18 schools in Arkansas run programs that feed this job, graduating 891 people a year. The job pays a median of $59,810 in Arkansas across about 140 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledProfessorInstructorCommunication ProfessorCommunication InstructorLecturerSpeech TeacherAdjunct LecturerSpeech Professor
Graduates / yr
891
in Arkansas
Median pay · Arkansas
$59,810
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
140
people employed
Schools
18
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
48%
across those schools
Median net price
$21,322
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Arkansas that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

11 programs in Arkansas that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Arkansas (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Arkansas page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 09.0101In Arkansas
274
30.8%
7$34,858$25,000
2
CIP 09.0100In Arkansas
193
21.7%
6$34,858$25,000
3
CIP 09.0900In Arkansas
172
19.3%
5$39,658$24,500
4
CIP 09.0401In Arkansas
149
16.7%
8$34,515$24,250
5
CIP 09.0702In Arkansas
62
7.0%
5$29,112$23,836
6
CIP 09.0102In Arkansas
14
1.6%
2$34,858$25,000
7
CIP 09.9999In Arkansas
8
0.9%
1$36,931$24,500
8
CIP 09.0701In Arkansas
7
0.8%
1$29,112$23,836
9
CIP 09.0402In Arkansas
5
0.6%
1$34,515$24,250
10
CIP 09.0902In Arkansas
4
0.4%
2$39,658$24,500
11
CIP 09.0499In Arkansas
3
0.3%
1$34,515$24,250

Top 18 schools in Arkansas

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 8 of the 18 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR Public · 4 feeder programs
429Speech Communication and Rhetoric$40,09571%74%
2Southeast Arkansas College
Pine Bluff, AR Public · 1 feeder programs
121Communication, General28%
3Arkansas State University
Jonesboro, AR Public · 7 feeder programs
65Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia$31,32455%82%
4Arkansas Tech University
Russellville, AR Public · 5 feeder programs
56Journalism$32,18349%96%
5University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Little Rock, AR Public · 3 feeder programs
47Journalism42%59%
6University of Central Arkansas
Conway, AR Public · 3 feeder programs
40Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$35,17754%89%
7Harding University
Searcy, AR Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs
33Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$33,57769%$19,42371%
8Ouachita Baptist University
Arkadelphia, AR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
30Communication, General$34,57461%$21,32268%
9University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical College
North Little Rock, AR Public · 1 feeder programs
25Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia36%
10University of the Ozarks
Clarksville, AR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
12Mass Communication/Media Studies51%$13,60860%
11University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Pine Bluff, AR Public · 1 feeder programs
11Journalism$27,25940%41%
12University of Arkansas - Fort Smith
Fort Smith, AR Public · 1 feeder programs
6Communication, General$28,95138%80%
13North Arkansas College
Harrison, AR Public · 1 feeder programs
4Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia42%
14Southern Arkansas University Main Campus
Magnolia, AR Public · 1 feeder programs
4Journalism49%75%
15Henderson State University
Arkadelphia, AR Public · 1 feeder programs
3Communication, General37%
16University of Arkansas at Monticello
Monticello, AR Public · 1 feeder programs
2Speech Communication and Rhetoric49%
17University of Arkansas Grantham
LIttle Rock, AR Public · 1 feeder programs
2Speech Communication and Rhetoric43%
18Lyon College
Batesville, AR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
1Speech Communication and Rhetoric47%$22,19963%

All 18 schools in Arkansas

Every school in Arkansas with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Arkansas that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
University of ArkansasFayettevillePublic4294
Southeast Arkansas CollegePine BluffPublic1211
Arkansas State UniversityJonesboroPublic657
Arkansas Tech UniversityRussellvillePublic565
University of Arkansas at Little RockLittle RockPublic473
University of Central ArkansasConwayPublic403
Harding UniversitySearcyPrivate not-for-profit335
Ouachita Baptist UniversityArkadelphiaPrivate not-for-profit301
University of Arkansas - Pulaski Technical CollegeNorth Little RockPublic251
University of the OzarksClarksvillePrivate not-for-profit121
University of Arkansas at Pine BluffPine BluffPublic111
University of Arkansas - Fort SmithFort SmithPublic61
North Arkansas CollegeHarrisonPublic41
Southern Arkansas University Main CampusMagnoliaPublic41
Henderson State UniversityArkadelphiaPublic31

What communications teachers, postsecondary earn in Arkansas

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Arkansas
$59,810
Mean annual
$64,670
Jobs in state
140
What the range looks like
10th pct$47,450Median$59,81090th pct$78,440
Versus the national median
-23.9%

U.S. median $78,580. Arkansas pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
0.55×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+2.1%
About as fast as average
Openings per year
2,700
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
800
35,800 → 36,600
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Communications Teachers, Postsecondary page.

How to become a Communications Teacher, Postsecondary

Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above
Typical entry education
Doctoral or professional degree

Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).

Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.

Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.

Top skills

Active ListeningReading ComprehensionSpeakingActive LearningLearning StrategiesWriting

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Arkansas

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 23 majors mapped to Communications Teachers, Postsecondary22 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 09.0100Communication, General
  • 09.0101Speech Communication and Rhetoric
  • 09.0102Mass Communication/Media Studies
  • 09.0401Journalism
  • 09.0402Broadcast Journalism
  • 09.0405Business and Economic Journalism(no graduates reported)
  • 09.0406Cultural Journalism
  • 09.0407Science/Health/Environmental Journalism
  • 09.0499Journalism, Other
  • 09.0701Radio and Television
  • 09.0702Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia
  • 09.0900Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication
  • 09.0902Public Relations/Image Management
  • 09.0903Advertising
  • 09.0904Political Communication
  • 09.0905Health Communication
  • 09.0906Sports Communication
  • 09.0907International and Intercultural Communication
  • 09.0908Technical and Scientific Communication
  • 09.9999Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other
  • 50.0607Documentary Production
  • 52.0501Business/Corporate Communications, General
  • 52.0599Business/Corporate Communications, Other

Common questions

Answers for people weighing communications teachers, postsecondary programs in Arkansas.

What degree do you need to become a Communications Teacher, Postsecondary?+

Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Speech Communication and Rhetoric, which awarded 274 degrees in Arkansas in 2024-25, 30.8% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Communications Teacher, Postsecondary?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 11 programs to this occupation. The largest are Communication and Media Studies, Public Relations, Journalism, Radio, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 891 people a year in Arkansas.

How much do communications teachers, postsecondary earn in Arkansas?+

The median is $59,810 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 23.9% below the U.S. median of $78,580. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for communications teachers, postsecondary growing?+

BLS projects a +2.1% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 2,700 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Arkansas?+

18 institutions in Arkansas reported graduates from at least one of the 11 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do communications teachers, postsecondary work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Professor, Instructor, Communication Professor, Communication Instructor among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 25-1122.

Communications Teachers, Postsecondary in other statesCaliforniaTexasNew YorkFloridaPennsylvaniaIllinoisArizonaOhio

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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